Plea in LHC seeks ‘proper explanation’ of ECL procedure

LAHORE: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday for explanation of procedure regarding induction and removal of names in the Exit Control List (ECL).

The federal government, prime minister, interior minister, chairman NAB and other departments concerned have been made respondents in the plea by the petitioner.

“According to the law, secretary interior has right to place names on the ECL”, the petitioner stated in his plea.

He further contended that the names were not included or excluded from the ECL even on the court orders, which made the ECL procedure further complicated.

He pleaded the court to clarify the procedure of induction and removal of the names from the ECL.

On October 10, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar had approached the Ministry of Interior for removal of their names from the Exit Control List.

As per details, Sharif and members of his family, who were released from Adiala prison after suspension of their jail terms by the Islamabad High Court last month, wrote a letter to the interior ministry, asking it strike their names off the no-fly list.

As an interim relief, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Sept 19 suspended the conviction of Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her spouse Captain (retd) Safdar in the Avenfield properties case.

Their names were placed on the Exit Control List after an approval from the new cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The cabinet had decided to put the names of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam and Safdar on the ECL and take measures to repatriate his two sons – Hussain and Hassan Nawaz – and former finance minister Ishaq Dar who have been declared fugitives by courts in NAB references.